Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Antecedents Of Diversity Initiative Fatigue: A Moderatedmediation Model, Anne Simpson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis investigates the relationships between bias awareness, motivation to respond without prejudice, racialized attitudes, and diversity initiative fatigue (DIF) among employees within an academic setting, specifically focusing on faculty and staff at Western Kentucky University. Data were collected through a survey-based approach to measure these constructs and assess their relationships. This study hypothesized that bias awareness negatively correlates with DIF and motivation to respond without prejudice mediating this relationship. Furthermore, the research examines how racialized attitudes moderate the relationship between bias awareness and motivation to respond without prejudice. By examining these relationships using a moderated mediation model, the study …

Examining The Impact Of A Mobile-Delivered Brief Intervention On Substance Coping Motives Among A Sample Of Interpersonal Trauma Survivors With Heavy Alcohol Use, Lily Milam

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Brief interventions (BIs) aim to reduce risky alcohol use but show limited effectiveness for interpersonal trauma (IPT) survivors, who may use alcohol to cope with trauma-related issues. BIs typically do not target coping-related motivations or include effective emotion regulation strategies, which may improve outcomes for at-risk groups like IPT survivors. Additionally, digital interventions often struggle with low engagement. This study examined a trauma-informed and peer-supported BI to reduce coping-related drinking motives in heavy drinking young adults and assess its effectiveness compared to a standard BI and assessment only condition. Participants (N=133, 79.2% Female, 91.2% White, M age=19.77) with a lifetime …

Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions Of University Libraries’ Services, Resources, And Physical Spaces: A Descriptive Analysis, Amanda Hardin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Understanding undergraduate students' perceptions regarding university libraries’ services, resources, and physical space allows library leadership to improve student support. The purpose of this needs assessment using cross-sectional survey data of undergraduate students (N = 1733) was to examine how students use the libraries, how they perceive their ability to use resources, services, and physical spaces, and the relationship between use and perception to better understand satisfaction levels with everything academic libraries offer. Interviews with library leadership (N = 3) offer insight into how data received from the needs assessment were utilized to improve academic libraries and highlight the importance of …

Person-Centered Planning: An Improvement Science Approach To Interventions Impacting Teacher Implementation, Stacie Hutchison

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study used an improvement science framework to influence special education teachers’ behaviors and their implementation of transition service development through person centered planning and ongoing teacher support. Grounded in adaptive leadership principles and a theory of action emphasizing the need for new professional learning and sustained support, this research investigated how targeted interventions impact teacher practice.

I selected a mixed-methods design for this study, combining semi-structured interviews, Likert scale surveys, open-ended questions, and a single-participant case study to evaluate outcomes. Findings revealed that a traditional professional development model incorporating opportunities to practice skills and proactively address potential barriers led …

Expanding On The Relationship Between Incivility And Resource Depletion: Examining Race And Personal Tolerance For Mistreatment As Moderators, Aishwarya Kurmar

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Workplace incivility is ubiquitous, regularly impacting working adults. Through the framework of Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, I examined the relationship between workplace incivility and resource depletion using daily diary methodology. Workplace incivility negatively impacts employee outcomes at the organizational and individual level. As such, it was hypothesized that workplace incivility would have a positive correlation with increased resource depletion, measured as psychological fatigue. Under selective incivility theory, disenfranchised groups face increased instances of incivility. Following this theory, non-whites were hypothesized to experience a greater association between workplace incivility and resource depletion. Additionally, an individual’s personal tolerance of mistreatment for …

River Flowing Through: Lost River Cave And Its Community, Elizabeth Coleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Lost River Cave and Valley is a popular tourist attraction in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that also holds historical significance and importance to the local community. The Cave and Valley have functioned as a business, place of leisure, green space, and place of work for over 200 years. This thesis will explore the different ways that humans and non-humans have worked together to create a sense of place in this natural space. This will be accomplished utilizing “assemblage” theory from the discipline of philosophy. These assemblages will be made up of oral history interviews completed in 1999, one from 2009, and …

Social Comparison And Pressure: Examining The Roles Of Sex And Rank, Ashley East

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Faculty in academia face intense competition and growing expectations, often shaped by perceptions of others’ performance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these dynamics were magnified, making social comparison a critical factor in understanding academic workplace pressures. The purpose of this study is to examine the changing work pressures and social comparison tendencies among academics during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is hypothesized that social comparison tendencies will be positively related to time pressure (H1a) and telepressure (H1b), with moderation by sex (H2a and H2b) and organizational rank (H3a and H3b). Using a panel survey of 197 tenure-track and tenured faculty members in …

Parental Stress, Child Negative Affect, And A Mediating Relationship With Negative Talk, Olivia Goodman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study aimed to establish if a relationship existed between parenting stress and their child’s depression, anxiety and somatization, referred to as negative affect. Alongside establishing this relationship, this study investigated if parent negative talk, as seen in Parent-Child Interactive Therapy (PCIT) sessions, affected that relationship. It was hypothesized that parenting stress would negatively impact their children’s negative affect, and that parenting stress would lead to increased negative talk towards their children, in turn negatively impacting their children’s negative affect. A total of 47 families from archival PCIT video sessions created the data set. Results found that there was no …

Diversity And Phylogeny Of Spider Beetles (Ptinidae: Ptininae) In Coastal Chile And Peru, Jacob Bowen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Spider beetles of South America have historically received little systematic study, though now they are the subject of recent diversity surveys and documentation. This investigation contributes to the ongoing exploration of spider beetle diversity in South America by adding records for the recently described Cordielytrum and the yet to be described Furcillifer, as well as constructing phylogenies with new genetic material. MaxEnt was used to create an ecological niche model revealing habitat suitability in Chile and Peru for Cordielytrum, a genus of flightless spider beetles currently known only from Peru. Even with few occurrence records, a model with …

Caves, Calculus, And Climate Change: Measuring And Modeling The Discharge Of Biz Falls In Mammoth Cave National Park, Ava Lich

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Climate change poses a significant global challenge, with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide as a primary driver of rising temperatures and environmental disruptions. Karst systems, such as those in South-Central Kentucky, play a role in sequestering atmospheric CO₂ through the dissolution of limestone, a process that forms unique landscapes while mitigating climate impacts. This study investigates the discharge dynamics of Cascade River in Great Onyx Cave to enhance understanding of the relationship between hydrology and carbon sequestration in karst environments. A barrel weir equipped with pressure transducers was employed to collect and measure water flow, and Torricelli’s law was …

Exploring The Impact Of Yoga On Self-Perception In People With Aphasia, Meta Riley Hurm

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Instances of complex diagnoses and acquired language loss, such as aphasia, are often accompanied by a variety of deficits in quality of life. Most notably, individuals’ self-perceptions can be altered by these diagnoses, as new life complications bring about the necessity for major adjustments. This study utilized interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to analyze the effects of participation in an adapted yoga program on self-perception, specifically evoking change in identity, emotional health, sense of community, and self-acceptance. Through interviews with six individuals with a primary aphasia diagnosis, findings revealed three major superordinate themes of self-perception: identity, self-care, and attunement. Participants' answers …

Teaching Object-Oriented Design Through Interactive Uml: A Dual-Approach Framework For Code-Based Generation And Direct Diagram Manipulation, Moses Kayuni

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis introduces an interactive educational framework for teaching object-oriented design through UML class diagrams. The framework implements a dual-approach methodology: code-based generation, where students write Java code that automatically transforms into UML diagrams, and direct diagram manipulation, where students build diagrams by interacting with highlighted terms in problem descriptions. This approach addresses common challenges in teaching UML, including cognitive load difficulties, visualization problems, and the disconnect between code implementation and visual design. Built on the Mermaid diagramming framework, the system features a React frontend for diagram creation and manipulation, and a Flask backend that handles some code parsing and …

Bibliography, Mary P. Bennett

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Bibliography of publications by Mary Bennett.

Examining The Impact Of Political Affiliation And Related Images On False Memories, Shawn Sullivan

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The 2024 election, similar to the 2020 election, promised political divide and rampant misinformation (Pennycook & Rand 2021). Given the intensity of this polarization, the season provided a unique opportunity to gain insight into public perceptions and false memories. False memories can impact how we view and disseminate mass media; further contributing to the emergence and circulation of misinformation, leading to significant implications for digital literacy. This study aims to understand how individuals' self-identified political affiliation contributes to their susceptibility to misinformation. Furthermore, I aim to understand how viewing related images may influence the memory of fictional events. Although both …

Gender, Victimization, And Delinquency: Examining Gendered Pathways To Crime Among Juveniles, Caitlin Hinds

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The intersection of gender, crime, and victimization is a critical area of study within criminology, particularly as it relates to understanding the differing pathways men and women take into criminal behavior. Historically, crime statistics have shown a significant male predominance, particularly in violent offenses. Feminist criminology has played an essential role in reframing the narrative around gender and crime, emphasizing the need to examine the gender pathways that shape male and female experiences differently. While men may employ violence more overtly, women often rely on more subtle strategies to navigate criminal activities, avoiding physical confrontation when possible. Feminist criminologists argue …

Exploring The Role Of Bingocize® Workshops In Enhancing Health And Well-Being In Older Adults, Kaitlyn Gray

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

As the population of older adults grows, the need for better health and well-being also grows, making it necessary to implement effective strategies for healthy aging to improve the length and quality of life of older adults (CDC, 2024). This study evaluates the effectiveness of a Bingocize^® Workshop in improving the physical health of older adults. Bingocize^®, a unique program combining bingo with exercise, is designed to increase physical activity. Eleven (11) participants aged 68.55 ± 6.235 attended a ten-week workshop, two times per week focusing on physical exercises tailored to their abilities. The primary objective was …

The Impacts Of Land Use And Groundwater Inputs On Stream Health And Habitat Of Jennings Creek, Bowling Green, Kentucky, Allison Francis

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

In Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Jennings Creek watershed encompasses the entire city and surrounding area; however, little work has been completed focused on assessing the Creek’s water quality, habitat, and biological indicators. Jennings Creek is fed by several karst groundwater springs, making it highly vulnerable to contamination due to the rapid connection between the surface and subsurface via sinkholes and underground rivers. An examination of Jennings Creek’s water quality, habitat, and biological indicators provides an assessment of the watershed’s health.

The methodology closely followed the methods for assessing habitat by Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet and was approved for the …

Fluid Intake And Hydration Responses To Mass Participation Gravel Cycling, Carly Schuerger, Brandon Raik, Francis Salmon, Kian Foote, Angelo Madlambayan, Maya Vega, Grace Handler, Matthew M. Schubert

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(2): 1648-1662, 2024. Gravel cycling is a relatively new cycling discipline, with the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) hosting their first World Championships in 2022. Gravel races combine features of road racing, cyclocross, and mountain biking, including terrain of varying technical difficulty, long distances, substantial elevation gain, obstacles, and limited opportunities to stop for in-race nutrition. This study assessed hydration responses to gravel races of three different distances. Data were collected on saliva osmolarity (SOsm), body mass (BM), fluid intake, and nutrition knowledge at a gravel cycling race in April 2023. A total of 121 participants …

Assessment Of The Accuracy Of A Deep Learning Algorithm- And Video-Based Motion Capture System In Estimating Snatch Kinematics, Federico Thiele, Florian K. Paternoster, Chris Hummel, Fabian Stöcker, Denis Holzer

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(1): 1629-1647, 2024. In weightlifting, quantitative kinematic analysis is essential for evaluating snatch performance. While marker-based (MB) approaches are commonly used, they are impractical for training or competitions. Markerless video-based (VB) systems utilizing deep learning-based pose estimation algorithms could address this issue. This study assessed the comparability and applicability of VB systems in obtaining snatch kinematics by comparing the outcomes to an MB reference system. 21 weightlifters (15 Male, 6 Female) performed 2–3 snatches at 65%, 75%, and 80% of their one-repetition maximum. Snatch kinematics were analyzed using an MB (Vicon Nexus) and VB (Contemplas …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 100, No. 2, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Magazine edition of the College Heights Herald for the period November 11 - December 5, 2024.

• Wilborn, Price. Letter from the Editor – Homecoming
• Vickers, Abigail. Homecoming Royalty – Milie LeJeune, Sarah Burke, Katie Burch, Jennifer Smith, Alice Waddell
• A New Era for Social Sciences at WKU – Society, Culture, Crime & Justice
• Steps from WKU, Miles of Charm – Walk2Campus
• Wilborn, Price. Martha Sales Reflects on Life, Leadership & Growth
• Leasing Agents Lending a Friendly Face & Helping Hand – Columns
• Smith, Kane. How Local Businesses Prepare for Homecoming Crowds
• Downtown Bowling Green – Restaurants & Businesses
• Home Sweet …

Aquila And Predator: The Failure And Momentum Of Drone Technologies In The U.S., 1970-2015, Michael Rasak

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This article examines the technological and intellectual histories of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) development in the U.S. from the 1970s until 2015. Borrowing from the field of science and technology studies, the author argues that although early drone development demonstrated a significant degree of heterogeneity (i.e., interpretive flexibility), the spectacular failure in 1987 of one program in particular—the Aquila Remotely Piloted Vehicle—thereafter contributed to a significant restricting of UAS potentialities. Aquila’s demise prompted a Congressional directive in 1988 to consolidate the disparate UAS development efforts within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) under one joint program, ushering in a means …

The Grateful Dead: An Imperfect Symbol Of The Hippie Movement, Vanessa Sharfe

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The emergence of the band, the Grateful Dead, took San Francisco by storm in the 1960s as the hippie counterculture movement increased in popularity in the United States. The Grateful Dead’s career spanned thirty years from 1965 to the passing of their lead singer, Jerry Garcia in 1995. My work will focus on the political and social context of the 1960s and 1970s because the time period was shaped by major political issues and events that influenced the ideologies of the various protest movements such the Free Speech Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and controversial topics such as the Hell’s …

Fat Deposition, Β- Carotene, And Vitamin A Metabolism In Bulls, Steers, And Heifers, Tesla Trammell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research highlights the impact of Vitamin A on cattle growth and meat quality. Supplementing Vitamin A early in life has been linked to enhanced IMF content and growth rates in calves, especially when administered at birth or during early developmental stages. This is attributed to the role of the ZFP423 gene in adipocyte formation, with studies noting its involvement in the development of IMF during the finishing phase.

This study aims to add to the present research by evaluate the effect of calves’ sexual class on blood β-carotene and Vitamin A before weaning. The second study evaluated the β- carotene …

Peer Teasing And Muscle Dysmorphia, Jasmine Arnold

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of bodily-related teasing during childhood and adolescence on Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) symptomology during adulthood. Another goal of this study was to investigate the connection between bodily peer teasing to lowself- esteem and negative affect, two factors that have been argued to be contributing factors of MD. 79 individuals who identified as male and were 18 years old or order were recruited to participate in the study. However, only 70 people completed the questionnaires to completion. Participants completed the Muscle Dysmorphia Questionnaire, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety …

Nondisclosure Of Trans Group Status Among Transgender Individuals, Alexander Williams

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the study was to investigate motivations for concealment of transgender group status beyond a qualitative scale. Additionally, the study aimed to identify the role one’s identity centrality, salience, and valence played in concealment behavior and attitudes. It was hypothesized that factors found in the extant literature (i.e., gender dysphoria, lack of connection, safety, stigma, and discrimination concerns) would apply presently. It was hypothesized that those individuals with low identity centrality, salience, and valence would be less likely to disclose their trans status. Results indicated that the previously named factors for concealment were present among participants with particularly …

Evaluation Of Biochar As A Remediation Tool For Aminopyralid Contaminated Compost, Steven James Parris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Aminopyralid is a synthetic auxin herbicide which is applied to grass pastures to control broadleaf weed populations. Aminopyralid can contaminate compost through inputs derived from treated pastures such as manure and grass clippings. This possibility poses the threat of inadvertent herbicide exposure to sensitive vegetable plants through using compost contaminated with aminopyralid. Biochar can absorb pollutants and has a synergistic effect with compost when applied to the compost mixture. This study examined the relationship between biochar and aminopyralid through compost consisting of dairy manure and sawdust 1:1 mixture, aminopyralid (10μg/kg), and biochar at four treatment levels of total mass of …

The Effects Of Tiktok Use On Mental Health Outcomes And Stigma, Alecia Hatfield

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between TikTok use, mental health, and mental health stigma. There were three hypotheses for this study: TikTok use would be associated with decreased mental health stigma, TikTok use would be associated with increased anxiety, and TikTok use would be associated with increased depression. A total of 115 participants were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), and they completed an online Qualtrics survey. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between TikTok use and anxiety, depression, and mental health stigma. Results indicated that increased time spent on TikTok was associated with an …

Alfred Russel Wallace Notes 33. The Story In Evolution., Charles H. Smith

Faculty/Staff Personal Papers

Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) is best known for his independent formulation of the principle of natural selection. In this work I first review my understanding of Wallace’s intellectual development on this subject, including the notion that he had no model for the evolution of higher consciousness as of his first treatment of natural selection in 1858. This leads to some conclusions about his approach to the subject, and links to parallel ideas inherent in the philosophy of Baruch de Spinoza (1632-1677).

Randomized Pilot Study Examining An Online Diet Intervention To Increase Intake Of Fruits And Vegetables Among Healthy Adults, Diana Kolb, Sarah Deemer, Eva Claire Synkowski, Stephanie Silveira

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(2): 1618-1628, 2024. Intake of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is related to health outcomes. The purpose of the study was to test an online diet program promoting F&V intake among healthy adults. Twenty-three participants were randomly assigned to complete an 8-week intervention condition (#800gChallenge®) or wait-list control condition. In weeks 1-4, intervention participants were asked to interact with an application reporting (a) whether they met their daily 800g F&V goal, (b) if their 800g of F&V was from a variety of sources, and (c) reading of daily educational material. Weeks 1-4 included weekly Zoom check-in …

Differences In Physiological Responses Between Two Repeated Sprint Protocols In Female Soccer Players, Emma Hörnlund, Spyridon Hadjispyrou, Apostolos Theos

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(6): 1605-1617, 2024. Soccer is a team sport characterized by repeated high-intensity sprints followed by brief periods of recovery. Repeated sprints with (RCOD) and without (RSA) change-of-direction has therefore been recognized as an important fitness component. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differences in physiological responses between RSA and RCOD, and the relationship with Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test (YYIR1), as an estimate of aerobic capacity, in female soccer players. Thirteen female soccer players (age: 20.8 ± 2.6 years) participated. All players performed an RSA and RCOD test, as well as a …